An Ayah's Choice

Shahida Rahman

Mar 2022 · Onwe

About this ebook

Underpinned by true events, An Ayah’s Choice draws us into a rarely seen aspect of British Indian history. Following the momentous life of Jaya Devani, an Indian woman harbouring a secret that propels her to find her own agency against a backdrop of sex, class and race discrimination.

In a small Indian village in 1900, aspiring artist Jaya Devani yearns for freedom beyond the confines of the life expected of her. When she begins a tumultuous relationship with her British colonial employer, William Edmundson, she launches herself on course for a new life as an ayah, a nanny, in London. Arriving on British shores as the suffragette movement is growing, Jaya grapples with a choice: can she really find freedom in the arms of William, or will she have to seek out her own way to be truly free?

A story of the tenacity of the human spirit, friendship and blazing your own path. Perfect for fans of The Paris Library and The Beekeeper of Aleppo.

About the author

Shahidah Rahman was born and raised in Cambridge, UK. Her late father, Abdul Karim moved to Cambridge from East Pakistan (now Bangladesh) in 1957 and her mother arrived in 1964. She has won numerous civic and cultural awards for her work such as the Channel S ‘Special Acknowledgement Award’ in 2013, the ‘Arts and Cultural Awareness Award’ at the British Muslim Awards in 2015. Shahida has been on the judging panel of the Young Muslim Writers Awards. Shahida and her brother Dr. Kal Karim, are trustees of the Karim Foundation which aims to relieve poverty by providing food and support with domestic costs for those in financial hardship.